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Awards

Heise Award

Heise Entrepreneurial Spirit Award

The Heise Entrepreneurial Spirit Award was named in honor of Helmuth and Evelyn Heise, founders of Will O' the Wisp and Wisp Resort, Maryland's only downhill ski resort. The Heise Award is given to one business owner each year that has shown similar entrepreneurial qualities. The criteria for nomination include the following:

  • Open to business owners including partners/families that originated, developed, and/or significantly expanded business
  • Willingness to take risks with possibility of losing all
  • Involved in the community
  • High ethical standards
  • Nominee must be a member of the Chamber of Commerce
  • Demonstrated leadership (through one or more of the following): 1) By overcoming a formidable problem that threatened the business’s existence 2) By showing business acumen through embarking on a creative, insightful or overlooked opportunity that makes important contributions to Garrett County’s business environment 3) Through substantive community impact

The Heise Entrepreneurial Spirit Award Committee, composed of previous winners, will choose 3 finalists and present them to the Board with a recommended winner. Then the Chamber Board of Directors will choose the winner. The winner of the annual award is announced during the Annual Chamber Meeting & Dinner.

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Heise Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. You can download the nomination form by clicking here. Please submit nominations via mail to ATTN: Nick Sharps, Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, 15 Visitors Center Drive, McHenry, MD 21541 or by email at nick@garrettchamber.com.  Nominations will not be accepted after Close of Business on March 8, 2024.

2024 Heise Award Winner

The winner of the 2024 Heise Entrepreneurial Spirit Award was announced during the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Membership Meeting & Dinner on Thursday, June 6, 2024. Martin Heise made the presentation to this year’s winner, Karen Myers of Mountaineer Log and Siding Company.
Karen Myers is a product of rural Garrett County. She represents the 10th generation of her family who have lived and raised their families in Garrett County. Karen’s father and grandfather incorporated a progressive lumbering operation in the late 1950’s, which grew into an enterprise supplying kiln-dried lumber to cabinet, frame, and furniture companies around the country. Karen and her family founded Mountaineer Log & Siding Company in 1978 and that same sawmill operation would go on to produce and supply, by exclusive arrangement, their uniquely machined timber. Since then, Karen has acted as President and co-owner, taking responsibility for the overall organization, supervising the administration, developing marketing strategies, and acting as construction manager for single family log home construction projects. Since its founding, Mountaineer Log & Siding Company has produced more than 2,000 log homes with a goal of ensuring comfort, durability, and economical log home living.

Karen has practiced real estate brokerage in Maryland for more than 40 years. Around the same time, she helped start Mountaineer Log & Siding Company, Karen launched A&A Realty, a real estate brokerage that operated in Garrett County and the Deep Creek Lake area until 1997. From 1997 to 2001, she managed the Garrett County branch of Long & Foster Real Estate. Karen is now an associate broker for Taylor-Made Deep Creek Sales. She has taught the real estate pre-licensing course or trained nearly 40% of Garrett County Realtors, developed or assisted in the development of 50 subdivision communities, guided a Planned Residential Development and dealt with governmental regulations at all levels, including local, state and federal. She has also developed specific marketing plans for subdivision communities and for individual properties.

In the late 1980’s Karen began venturing into land development. In 1995 she became a partner in DC Development, LLC and in 2001, they purchased Wisp Ski & Golf Resort. Karen proved an integral part of the successful negotiation to acquire Maryland’s only ski resort. DC Development made significant capital improvements to the acquisition, including the snow tubing park and the construction of the resort’s second golf course, an 18-hole mountaintop course designed by U.S. Open Golf Champion Hale Irwin. Karen and her partners spearheaded many of the programs still in operation today at Wisp Resort.

Karen has served as officer and board member on numerous professional organizations. She was the first woman elected to the board of a bank in Garrett County. Karen has been President of the Garrett County Board of Realtors; Director of Garrett County Development Corporation; Treasurer of Inter-State Hardwoods, Inc.; President, Vice President, and Director of the Chamber of Commerce; and board member of the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival. Karen has served on steering committees for the Maryland Association of Realtors and Western Maryland Economic Development Task Force. She participates in Garrett Community Concert Band and played at the band’s premiere performance on July 4, 2000. She belongs to the Women’s Group of the American Forest Foundation and has served in several capacities on the council of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, where she is an active member.

Karen’s success and contributions to the community are well documented. Some of her accolades include but are not limited to: Employer of the Year (1996), Woman of the Year (1996), Maryland Association of Realtors Community Service Award (1998), Autumn Glory Honorary Golden Ambassador (1999), Daily Record Top 100 Women (2000 and 2003), an induction into the Maryland Business Hall of Fame (2010).

Using her personal resources, Karen has provided housing to Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation. She has also provided property to the Dove Center and St. Mark’s Christian Early Learning Center at nominal fees, allowing the services to grow.

“Karen is enthusiastic, good humored, caring, energetic, civic minded and active in the business community,” said Brenda McDonnell, owner of Brenda’s Pizzeria. “She knows all about hard work, dedication, and running a business. I firmly believe that Karen is a wonderful person who deserves the award.”

Past Recipients of the Heise Award

2022 Bill Weissgerber Railey Realty
2021 Jodi & Joe Refosco and Chad Taylor Taylor Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales
2020 Steve Green High Mountain Sports
2019 Hugh Umbel Bear Creek Traders, Legacy Home Corp., Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, McHenry Beverage Shoppe
2018 Tom & Sara Jane Kuhn Funland Family Fun Center
2017 Nancy Railey Railey Mountain Lake Vacations
2016 Robert Heilig Heilig's Plumbing & Electrical, LLC
2015 Brian Branthoover Halian & Associates Landscapes
2014 Skip & Linda Carr CLS Ventures, Inc.
2013 Judy Devlin Book Mark'et & Antique Mezannine
2012 Frank Vitez Phenix Technologies, Inc.
2011 Jan Russell Savage River Lodge
2010 Michael Deligatti, Sr. Arrowhead, Garrett 8 Cinema, Uno Chicago Grill
2009 Bill Meagher Lakeside Creamery
2008 Brenda McDonnell Brenda's Pizzeria & Trader's Coffee House
2007 Dave & Mimi Demaree Demaree Inflatable Boats, Inc.
2006 Rob Michael State Farm Insurance
2005 Barry Rush Rush Services
2004 Will & Sharon Roszell Garrett Automotive Company
2003 Jim Flanigan, Sr. NuWay Interiors
2002  Johnny Marple Johnny's Bait House
2001 Olen Beitzel Beitzel Corporation
2000 Bill Sisler Bill's Marine Service
1999 Jonathan 'Smiley' Kessler Smiley's Pizzeria & Fun Zone
Golden Ambassador
Emerging Entrepreneur
Diplomat of the Year
Volunteer of the Year
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